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Do pea plants grow faster with tap water or distilled water?

Grant Schneider

Mr. Baldwin

Period 1

11/6/20

Word count: 891

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Grant Schneider

Baldwin

Physical Science

Period 1

11/6/20

Do pea plants grow faster with tap or distilled water? People have been watering their

plants with water since the beginning of time, but some people argue that some water is better

than others. This begs the question, “Which water is the best for plants?” Some may say tap,

some may say distilled, some may say others. It all comes down to how much the plant grows

with the certain type of water. Plant growth is gradual, taking a long time to grow, over the

course of a couple months. Plants grow through cell growth and cell division, meaning the

plant’s cell size grows, and then cell division splits the big cell into two cells. This paper will tell

you which water to use, how to water your plants, and how to make good water.

First, you need to know how to water plants well. You should make sure that you aren’t

overwatering. In an article on Better Homes & Gardens, the author, Andrea Beck, says, “The

best way to tell if your plants need water is to stick your finger about an inch into the soil mix,

and if it feels dry, break out the watering can (Beck).” If you think that your plant is getting too

much water, it might be because you water it at the wrong time of the day. It is best to water the

plant in the morning, so that the plant’s leaves can soak up all of the water when the sun is still

out (Beck). If you water it at night, the water can’t evaporate. In conclusion, you should make

sure that your plants are being treated the best they can be when you water them.

Secondly, using the right water is healthy for your plant. Some people use tap, some

people use distilled water, but the best way to find out which is better is to see what’s in both.
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First off, tap water was made for people. It is easily accessible and very cheap. Tap water

contains chlorine, fluoride, and salt (Lewis, Weightman). These are minerals that are good for

humans and filtering, but bad for plants. Chlorine is what is used to kill bacteria and is mainly

found in water. Fluoride is used in water, and is used to strengthen tooth enamel. Salt is mainly

used for taste in water, and is the main instigator in buildups on plants. Distilled water has no bad

chemicals or minerals, so it is easy to see which one is better for plant growth (Hyland, Lewis).

Making use of the best water of your accessibility is vital for your plant’s health.

Third, learning how to make distilled water is good for gardening. There are pretty much

3 ways to get distilled water, and those ways are aging, boiling, and buying (Boyle). Buying is

not very efficient, because distilled water is quite expensive and not really easily accessible for

purchase. Aging is better than buying, because you are utilizing tap water. When you age water,

you take a bucket, fill it with tap water, and put it in a safe place for 2-3 days. Aging is pretty

easy, but it takes a while to acquire. That is why the best method is to boil tap water. When you

boil tap water, it shrinks all the bad minerals and after you let it cool down, it is ready for use.

Obtaining distilled water in easy means is a solid way to undergo gardening.

Next, the benefits for using distilled water on plants are amazing. Since distilled water

has no bad chemicals or minerals, there are basically no bad things that can happen. The only

bad thing about distilled water is that it doesn’t give plants calcium or magnesium because of not

having minerals. (Espiritu) The good thing is, plants grow much faster using distilled water

versus tap water. They also have much more healthiness because, once again, no bad chemicals.

Utilizing distilled water for plants is a big gain for your garden.

Last but not least, you might be wondering if bad watering can damage a plant. The

answer is obviously yes, but an easy way to make sure is to know if you are watering correctly,
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and if you use certain textures of water. It is better to water in the morning than to water at night

(Staff).You should water your plants according to how much they may need, and should be

actively testing to discern if there is any dehydration. You should use soft water (if available)

when you water because hard water can lead to plant damage and buildups (Staff). Always

remember, how you tend to your plants affects them all in different ways.

In conclusion, the answer to the question, “Do pea plants grow faster with tap water or

distilled water?” is, “Pea plants grow faster with distilled water.” We established that distilled

water has less chemicals, and it is fairly easy to make. The only reason people would use tap

water is if they are not informed, or if they do not know how to make distilled water. We proved

that using soft distilled water is better than hard distilled water, and showed that bad watering

damages a plant. Therefore, if you are gardening, and if you can access it, distilled water is the

best water to use for your plants.

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Bibliography

Beck, Andrea. “How To Water Houseplants (And How To Know If You're Overwatering).”

https://www.bhg.com/gardening/houseplants/care/watering-houseplants/.

Boyle, Erin. “Is Unfiltered Tap Water Safe For Plants?”

https://www.gardenista.com/posts/urban-gardener-is-unfiltered-tap-water-safe-for-plants/

Espiritu, Kevin. “Distilled Water For Plants: What You Need To Know.”

https://www.epicgardening.com/distilled-water-for-plants/

Lewis, Melissa. “Which Types of Water Are The Best For Plant Growth?”

https://www.hunker.com/12213051/which-types-of-water-are-the-best-for-plant-growth/.

Staff. “Watering Plants With Distilled Water.”

https://www.professorshouse.com/watering-plants-with-distilled-water/.

Weightman, Judy. “The Effects of Tap Water on Plants.”

https://www.hunker.com/12219619/the-effects-of-tap-water-on-plants​.

Hyland, Lidsey. “Impact of Distilled Water For Plants And How To Make Your Own.”

https://www.urbanorganicyield.com/distilled-water-for-plants/.